Common Grounds
by Vangrul
Summary: FESS: Natasha and Knoll try to found common ground between themselves and understand each other. Natasha and Lute fic.
1. Chapter 1

_Remember me? The writer of the somewhat cult fic "My Stalker" (The first Knoll/Lute fic) if it can even be described that? Well it doesn't matter I'm actually getting around to my second Fire Emblem fic, and it's featuring Knoll again. Its not that I'm fond of the character but he has a good design and some interesting supports. This is my second time with the whole story around a support again but maybe I can make this better then the first. Well this is set differently and it's not a comedy so you will not have to deal with my humor (which is high brow) unless its there which I doubt. But like the summery said this is somewhat a Knoll/Natasha fic but it's more of hinted then it's actually there. Like the other this should be 3 chapters with an epilogue added eventually but who knows where this may go, so enjoy._

**Chapter 1**

-

-

-

-

-

It was dark, moonlight had already settled as the wind howled. Two hours earlier, prior to night fall there had already been fighting between Grado and Rausten.

There were some Clerics going through advocating and converting claiming to purge the land of immorality. They certainly didn't take kind to Knoll the Shaman but didn't overstep their bounds as they seemed to have a passive attitude to quite people in the group regardless of the affiliation.

It wasn't into that some band of 20 Grado Summoners and Druids came through.

It was possible that neither side knew the other would be there but on point they bolt sent a barrage of spells at each other attempting to get the upper hand.

Knoll found himself facilitating some members of Grado but then killing other members for reasons only known to him.

And his fellow spell user the cleric in white Natasha was on the other side helping her fellow clerics and bishops and monks.

Well the battle had concluded in a stalemate. Neither side was winning and the surplus of the Tomes and spells where shrinking as the demands for spells in the battle was too high.

Knoll had also uses up too many tomes by casting summons to attack mercenaries for hire without paying attention. As he had prior to the event no true battle experience save for occasional spares with fellow Gradoin Druid Lyon when he was still in his right mind that used logic and reasoning.

Knoll actually wasn't fighting for Grado but rather a handful of Shamans, Druids and Summoners he worked with his time there. He knew they weren't fighters like him but rather was sent to provide help as sometimes wondering Grado militias would be attacked by bandits and monsters. It isn't as if Grado was a peaceful pacifist group however as they weren't above plundering villages for resources but they would probably have not waged an attack without warning; had the ecclesiastics who were doing their little crusade, had not been there as they both attacked instinctively.

Natasha had been quite to Knoll since battle time, likely steaming from them being on opposite sides earlier and partially due to them never talking. Well today was her day to talk as she called the former Grado elite Shaman.

"Master Knoll..." She started quietly before pausing to think.

Knoll on the other hand was rather blunt and didn't hold any feeling to earlier. It was always weird for him as he spent time killing people she likely knew before he joined up with her, so going back to his old roots momentarily was natural; and going back after the battle felt like his first time meeting the group so it was more awkward if anything.

"I know you... You're Natasha, from the sanctuary." Knoll said coolly, well as calm, as he could because he really didn't care to converse as he'd probably forget what they talked about.

"Yes. I remember seeing you many times back in Grado. But this is the first time we've ever actually spoken." Natasha said as Knoll nodded not really paying attention. He believed he talked in small chatters such as hello and where is such and such.

"I don't know what it is, but clerics and mages seem to be like oil and water. And we mages can be an enigmatic bunch at times. Shadowy and sinister... Or at least, that's how I've always imagined you clerics saw us." Knoll explained as he never would imagine talking to her based on the facts that they came from two different schools of magic and studied different tomes and forms of arcane magic if they were ever used.

"Oh, no! I never-- Well, no. You're right. We had few dealings with the mages. But that's in the past. I have a question for you, Master Knoll." Natasha said as she probably wanted to avoid the discussion of the battle of earlier times and recent times.

"I think I can guess. It's about the Sacred Stones and Prince Lyon, is it?" Knoll asked as Natasha nodded her head. He knew it would come around eventually between them as they both knew what the battle of earlier should have been about.

"It is. My mentor died... trying to warn us about the threat our Sacred Stone posed. I want to know the truth. What is Emperor Vigarde up to? What is Prince Lyon's role in this?" Natasha explained before her face eventually flushed from holding her breath for a riposte.

"There are as many truths out there as there are people to tell them. Perhaps it's best simply to choose the truth with which you are most comfortable." Knoll said careful to choose the correct words that should satisfy her.

"..." Apparently he chose correctly but the silence was getting to him and he knew she was about to ask something so he elaborated on her mentor.

"In the eyes of your mentor, I would imagine we must have seemed quite evil. He imagined our magical studies using the Sacred Stone were sacrilege. I suspect he quite loathed the antediluvian magic he called "dark." Knoll said as Natasha seemed to be shocked as her eyes bulged open.

"You're wrong... My mentor wasn't like that at all! And isn't that war the direct result of all your dark magic research?" Natasha said raising her voice in a defensive manner.

"..."

"..."

"Hm... Well, I suppose you are right about that. Your magic stems from faith in the unknowable, the divine presence. In contrast, dark magic stems from knowledge, from understanding. We distrust what we do not understand, and we strive to know the unknowable. Perhaps our disciplines truly are incompatible." Knoll said as he left the subject alone. Well as the entire conversation as he walked away leaving Natasha to ponder his words.

He had not really known what made him decide to talk to Natasha then sheer timing as he hadn't really looked to speak to her for his tenure of being in the traveling band. He had seen a many of the group lose their life in battles that those people waged and yet he never talked to them and yet he fond himself talking to her.

If anyone he talked to it would be Ephraim as he was the one to get him to join with his faction of warriors. He suspected the cerulean headed lord was liable for him learning to be open to teammate as he constantly asked or rather pleaded with him to sit down and indulge Ewan the young conjurer in training, in the finer arts of using magic rather then crude methods of casting it that cost you too much energy.

Or explaining to the Moulder how using certain types of Magic like dark tome spells such as Lunar degraded your overall speed due to the tomes used being cumbersome and it fatiguing you easily.

Not to mention having to play some type of games with the men in his group as they celebrated victory in the nearest town for a price of 400 pieces of gold and had him sharing rooms with people while he had to watch Ephraim be the only one with his own room.

Knoll was far from anti-social but he never really had anything to say to people so he would just stay quite. Knoll was just learning to be open to talking so he still talked as if he were discussing spells all the time but he was making small gains.

Not unlike Natasha who wasn't shy but never really open to say much. She was well the more timid appearance woman who would actually be open to all things to discuss as long as it didn't cause her conflict with her belief.

It was an old thing to see them talking but Colm said it probably was because since they shared the same nation that neither would feel alien to each other when it came to talking or the first time as he learned Natasha never really went in depth into magic unless she was talking to people who stayed near Grado's boarders like Joshua or Cormag.

In any case both didn't do anything to put forth another effort to talk again until one started the conversation which neither would do so they just left it alone.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Well I was lazy and didn't do much the first chapter but I'm ready to do something now. I was going to do this like my other fic and finish then add some content after the story but now I'm just going to complete it as a whole without having to put in extra stuff._

**Chapter 2**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

**-**

* * *

There had been another battle today but unlike the others this particular one ended in death. Joshua the sword master had died a few hours back in an attempt to take out a Summoner. 

There was a city called Vritra. It had three main targets, a castle, a fortified wall full of archers and its magician's temple. Knoll been in the group led by Erika, to take out the archers with his summons and dark spells. He was assisted by Colm who was using his ability to pierce through the enemies defenses a lot faster then he normally could.

Somehow a Summoner managed to get away from Ephraim's group and attacked Ericka; Colm had become distracted and took off to make sure the girl was alright leaving Knoll to fend of for himself.

He was backed into a corner and if not for Joshua would have died to the multiple summons that surrounded him as his magic was depleted and he relied on punching and kicking.

Joshua had killed about five of the creatures and Knoll was destroying the rest leaving only the Summoner.

Knoll tried to tell Joshua not to attack the weakened Dark user as he would have likely leeched of the remaining life Joshua had as he already was fatigued from battle.

The young prince didn't listened and paid dearly as he was leeched off of.

Knoll did kill the Summoner even though he was from his home of Grado but not because of sadness, nor of rage but of caution.

The user had become stronger then he originally was and could have killed Colm, Erika and himself if nothing was done about it. Knoll also didn't care to know the man who had just died only that he left open a chance in his death for him to kill the enemy with an eclipse spell.

* * *

After the battle Natasha expected Knoll to be saddened in grief as a fellow comrade had passed but he hadn't even wept a single tear. 

He did not know the man and from what he did know they weren't friends. Too, "active" for his taste in personality not to mention that he was from another nation. Though he could have been family due to Grado's people having strikingly similar appearances to people from Jehanna.

The "Grado Traitor" Natasha was worried as everyone seemed to know of a relationship forming between Natasha and Joshua and Knoll was the last person to see him alive.

"Natasha have you every wondered could death be reversible or prevented?" Knoll asked shockingly as it scared the cleric as she jumped back.

"No, it goes against our teachings." Natasha said surely clutching onto her robe and faith.

Knoll had suddenly began to speak and him of all people mentioning death at this time was too much for her faith, heart and mind to bear at once.

"Hold you thought, and temporarily put aside your faith and tell me honestly, do you believe death can be avoided or reversed." Knoll asked again calmly, though by the hint of raspy ness in his voice you could tell he was irritated.

It was out of his character to ask such a question but currently he needed to know the answer to such a question. Natasha's yes or no could have easily answered years of pain and hard work but he needed to know.

"I guess in a way it's possible to avoid death but to reverse it? I wouldn't know where to begin." Natasha said wincing as he clutched her clothes threatening to crack at any moment.

"We the researching shamans believe death is avoidable and in a way reversible trough ancient magic and tomes." Knoll said softly with a hint of excitement as Natasha gripped harder to her fabric beginning to perspire on her face.

"Through spells similar to my draining attacks and a mixture of your healing spells, we were able to revive a dead child from death that occurred a brief time earlier. Its about taking the bodies essence and putting it somewhere else, though you would have to do it quick or else it would decompose." Knoll said as Natasha looked downward.

"You would say it's unnatural and inhumane to bind the essence of someone to another form but it's just the first step to revival." Knoll said as Natasha nodded in fear as she didn't know Knoll had this character to the quite collected man she normally seen.

It was crumbling to her such a thing as her faith was being tested and to hear of her people doing such atrocities made her weep.

"So what happened? And did you cause this war with your actions?" Natasha asked her head down as she was slipping away mentally going insane at the insight of Grado's experiments but she needed to hear the rest before so she would have a reason to justify her actions, such primal reasons to justify yourself.

"Our researches ended in miserable failure. Grado's Sacred Stone was shattered. Prince Lyon corrupted... And this whole tragedy that unfolds around us even now. It's true. We mages have triggered this age's greatest calamity. We lost the child as his essence was never fully attached and after the stone went so did he." Knoll said sadly as Natasha looked up having faith once more seeing that the Dark Arts weren't fully able to manipulate life and death which restored some faith back into her.

"But why? What was it all for? What did you hope to accomplish with the power of the Sacred Stone?" Natasha asked as Knoll looked to his Grado robes and on his finger two rings, one of his nation and one to promote himself a rank.

"Lyon just wanted to help people and we were to follow. We couldn't reverse death but we found out how to see into the future and avoid meaningless and pointless deaths." Knoll said sadly in a low voice as he ran his hand through his hair.

"We read a spell call "Time Shear" it causes time to bend, opened holes in it warps it through cause and effect." Knoll said as Natasha looked now to him not to his body but his face to read his features as he talked.

"We lack the knowledge to reproduce this ancient spell today. Prince Lyon, however, was convinced that we could unravel its secret. He felt we could use it to predict and even prevent future events." Knoll just looked up to see Natasha watching him as he became talkative but he gave a pause as she wanted to ask something.

"Prevent the future, what has you so scared that you want to stop it?" Natasha asked as Knoll looked down then back up as he sucked in air before answering.

"Oh, we dedicated years to studying this spell. You see, the greater the disaster, the farther it sends ripples through time. We learned to read these ripples from the future, hoping to save lives. If we could know when a disaster would strike, we could evacuate people. We could save millions of lives. Possibly even some today like Joshua's." Knoll said before going quite as Natasha stiffened up a bit.

"But, it seems so, so blasphemous. That worldly creatures should take control of fate, it its absurd, it's not the right thing to do, its note the will of faith." Natasha preached as Knoll looked depressed as if he wanted to believe her but couldn't.

"So you're saying that we should let people die to preserve fate and faith? That's why Joshua is dead, he didn't believe such things and let fate take care of it and there he is a corpse." Knoll said darkly becoming a bit aggressive as Natasha grabbed her chest looking shocked.

"I didn't mean…" Natasha began but Knoll cut her off.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to say such things and crossed the line of good ethics. Lyon had your same doubts Natasha." Knoll responded as she once again went quite.

"Perhaps we were bitter that we receive no credit for aiding Grado. That we receive no accolades for our research, for the benefit it brings. I do not know. But we pressed on, nonetheless. The misconceptions linking the ancient magic's to "evil" die hard and slow. Prince Lyon sought to change that. He wanted, as we all wanted, to prove that our magic had good uses." Knoll said now being the one to justify and explain his actions.

"I refuse to believe it; the price would never do such a thing." She was refusing to believe a word though it was getting to her.

"With our aid, Prince Lyon predicted a great storm rising in the south. He barred ships from leaving port, and, oh, how the people complained. But the storm came, and the seas raged. We saved countless lives. And Prince Lyon cared not at all if the people loved him for it. He only wanted them to be safe." Knoll pleaded as Natasha became less defensive as he continued once more.

"And it's so clear now, it was for nothing as we lost much more then we every gain except a lesson, I will lament this myself but before I beg you a favor." Knoll asked as Natasha was about to completely shatter in terms of mentality.

"No matter what is said I did not allow Joshua to die, I know we are developing a relationship as some would call it but I would not let a man run into a death even my enemy without giving a fair warning." Knoll said as he quickly left.

* * *

Walking through some corridors of Rausten's castle the Grado mage bumped into L'Arachel. Remaining quite save for saying excuse me Knoll attempted to leave before being touched on the shoulder. 

"I know you're of my enemy and we have fought before I would like to extend to you my concern and hope you get better." The royal member said as Knoll attempted not to roll his eyes.

"If you ever need a woman to be with, let me know, I'll be sure to show you how to get over it." L'Arachel said giggling before walking off.

"Crazy woman, to think I would even attempt such a thing." Knoll muttered as he was ready to near a corner. He wasn't sure if it was mind games, lust, boredom or genuine feelings that L'Arachel was giggling about but he knew he would spend a minute alone with the egomaniac.

"What did you say? Don't you believe my superior hearing would be able to pick up on your comment?" L'Arachel asked cockily as Knoll muttered something along the lines of…

"If you healed as much as you talk about yourself we would have won the battle the first day it began."

Before he over stayed his welcome Knoll had chosen to leave hearing curses to Dark Magic and how Light Magic was superior.


End file.
